Update System Closed-Through Dates

athenaCollector

This page allows you to update your system close date for your practice manually, on an ad hoc basis.

 

On the Main Menu, click Settings > Practice Manager. In the left menu, under Practice Links — System Closed-Through Dates, click Update System Closed-Through Dates

 

 

  1. Display the Update System Closed-Through Dates page: On the Main Menu, click Settings > Practice Manager. In the left menu, under Practice Links — System Closed-Through Dates, click Update System Closed-Through Dates.
  2. New system closed-through dates — Enter or select the date.
    USE EXTREME CAUTION. After you click Update, you cannot undo your change!
  3. Click Update to change the date. To exit the page without changing the date, select another menu option from the Task Bar or from the navigation menus at the top of the page.

 

No date entered

  • WARNING MESSAGE: A new system closed-through date is required.
  • No submission.

Invalid date entered

  • WARNING MESSAGE: The new system closed-through date must be a valid date.
  • No submission.

New date not on or after both current close dates and before the current day

  • WARNING MESSAGE: The new system closed-through date must be on or after both current closed-through dates and before the current day.
  • No submission.

Day to close prior month is set

  • WARNING MESSAGE: Your system is configured to automatically advance your transaction closed-through date. Are you sure that you want to proceed?
  • Confirmation required before submission.

Day to reconcile deposits is set

  • WARNING MESSAGE: Your system is configured to automatically advance your deposit batch closed-through date. Are you sure that you want to proceed?
  • Confirmation required before submission.

New date is not the last day of a month

  • WARNING MESSAGE: Generally the system closed-through date should be the last day of a month. Are you sure that you want to proceed?
  • Confirmation required before submission.

 

 

 

The system close date determines the open post date range. Transactions and accounting records (i.e. unpostables) are considered "closed" for the period up to and including this date.

 

Your practice automatically locks down transaction and deposit activity at the end of each the month, as an integral part of maintaining accounting integrity.

 

Your practice's close process has four important dates:

  • System Close Date — the date through which no new transactions can be posted
  • Day To Close Prior Month — the day of the new month to advance the System Close Date to the last day of the prior month
  • Deposit Close Date — the date through which no new deposits can be posted
  • Day to Reconcile Deposits — the day of the new month to advance the Deposit Close Date to the last day of the prior month

 

By default, Day to Close Prior Month and the Day to Reconcile Deposits, will advance on the 7th of the month.

 

If the Day to Close Prior Month is set to a non-default value but the Day to Reconcile Deposits is still the default value, both the SYSTEMCLOSEDATE and DEPOSITCLOSEDATE will advance on the Day to Close Prior Month.

 

If the Day to Reconcile Deposits is set to a non-default value but the Day to Close Prior Month is still the default value, the DEPOSITCLOSEDATE will advance on the selected day. The SYSTEMCLOSEDATE will still advance on the 7th of the month.

 

 

By default, the Deposit Close Date for your practice is set to the same date as the Transaction Close Date (System Closed Through value). After your month is closed in the system, you can run reports by transaction date, without worrying about the results changing from day to day.

 

Although you need to lock down your transactions for reporting purposes, you may not be able to reconcile your deposits in the same timeframe because of the delay in retrieving bank information that allows deposit reconciliation to occur.

 

Therefore, athenaOne gives you the option of setting the Deposit Close Date a few days later than the Transaction Close date. This delay gives you a few additional days to reconcile deposit batches, before you begin historical reporting on deposits for the month.

 

We do not recommend changing the Deposit Close Date or the Transaction Close Date during the first 7 days of the month. Also, changing the value of the Deposit Close Date and the Transaction Close Date to the current date will not cause the month to close immediately; instead, the month will close the following day after the daily script runs.

 

To set your Deposit Close date later than your Transaction Close Date (System Closed Through), please contact the CSC by selecting Support > Create Case or Call in the Main Menu.

 

 

 

When the System Closed Through Date is set, no new transactions can have a post date that is on or before the transaction close date. For example, if the System Closed Through Date is 02/28/2024, then all new transactions must have a post date of 03/01/2024 or greater.

 

This also means that after the post date is set to 02/28/2024, February reports that are run by post date will not change.

 

Generally, athenahealth recommends using the practice setting to manage the transaction close date (System Closed Through Date).

  • The consequences of changing the System Closed Through Date are far-reaching and will significantly affect your financial reports. You cannot edit transactions from a prior period: instead, you must void and then re-create them. Therefore, users without void permissions cannot update claims from a prior period. Relying on the Day To Close Prior Month practice setting ensures that financial reports are closed on a consistent day each month and eliminates the possibility of error.
  • If you want to maintain less time between the system close date and the current date, the Update System Closed-Through Dates page allows the System Closed Through Date to be updated on an ad hoc basis.

 

Never set the system date close date to the current date. If you do, you cannot post payments until the following day. Remember, the system close date is inclusive.

 

 

 

 

Current transaction closed-through date The date on which the monthly accounts are closed. Transactions and accounting records are considered "closed" for the period up to and including this date. This date is automatically re-set monthly, according to a system close date practice setting.
Current deposit batch closed-through date

By default, this date is the same as the transaction closed date.
New system closed-through dates

Before entering a new system closed-through date, please contact the CSC by selecting Support > Create Case or Call in the Main Menu.

 

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